Insulation of a cold attic. The subtleties of insulating an attic in a house with a cold roof How to properly insulate an attic for a living space

As many remember from the school physics course, the warm air in the room rises, and the cold air, accordingly, falls. It is through the uninsulated attic and the roof that the house loses 15 to 30% of its heat! Usually the attic is insulated when building a house, but if necessary, you can also insulate the attic in a private old house.

Roof insulation

We insulate the attic of a new house

As a rule, they begin to insulate the attic after the roof is completed: the covering is laid, the wind insulation is made. First, the floor is insulated, and if the layer of thermal insulation material is reliable enough, you can take your time with the insulation of the roof slopes and gables.

Keep in mind that you can start insulating the attic of a wooden house only after the building has shrunk. Usually this is done not earlier than six months after the end of construction, although shrinkage can last more than a year. Sometimes, when shrinking, wooden structures are warped or cracks appear in them. Before starting work in the attic, these shortcomings should be eliminated.

For work you will need

Insulation (chipboard plates, mineral wool, expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam, expanded clay, sawdust with clay, etc.).
Materials for arranging steam and thermal insulation:
- vapor barrier foil (polypropylene or polyethylene film, metallized membrane or fiberglass membrane);
- single or double-sided adhesive tape for sealing the seams between foil sheets;
- felt or polyurethane tape for heat and sound insulation of the floor.
Tool for cutting insulation (mineral wool, expanded polystyrene plates) and finishing materials (chipboard, lining, drywall, etc.).
Boards, plywood, lining or drywall boards.
Nails, hammer.
Construction stapler and staples.
Safety goggles, respirator and gloves for working with mineral wool.

Keep in mind that the following methods of insulating the attic are used in cases where it is not heated and is used as a warehouse, summer workshop, etc. However, if the attic will be heated or used as a summer residential attic, the slopes and walls should be additionally sheathed with moisture-resistant plasterboard and paint, and lay plates of expanded polystyrene or chipboard on the floor.

We insulate the space under the roof

Many probably noticed that in old village houses only the floor of the attic is often insulated, but not the roof. The fact is that the sloping surface of the gable roof holds the layer of snow well - it also serves as an additional "blanket" for the roof. Even in severe frosts, the temperature under the slopes rarely drops below zero degrees. In the attic space, small windows are made that open for ventilation in the summer heat.

In the attic, which will be used as a utility room, the space under the roof will have to be insulated. For self-insulation, it is convenient to use sheet insulation (expanded polystyrene, mineral wool mats) or rolled mineral wool. The density of mineral wool insulation is 10-55 kg / sq. m. Sometimes these heaters are used together: the first layer is fixed with expanded polystyrene, the second - mineral wool.

Before fixing the insulation between the rafters, a vapor barrier foil is nailed onto the crate with a construction stapler. The joints are sealed with insulating tape, but you can also overlap the foil. Foil mineral wool mats can also be used. In this case, no additional vapor barrier is required.

Usually, the required thickness of the sheets of insulation is slightly greater than the thickness of the rafter legs. Make thickening "padding" on them and nail in perpendicular pieces of wood or steel battens. Place an additional layer of insulation between them, then fix it with thin slats, and stuff a wooden covering on top. In residential attics, you can complete the finish with plasterboard.

We insulate the floor

As in the previous case, before laying out the insulation, a vapor barrier is made (for example, from foil-clad polyisol). When arranging a floor slab, the film is laid on top of it; when insulating a wooden floor, it is nailed with an overlapping stapler.

Thermal insulation of a concrete floor. If a reinforced concrete slab serves as the overlap, materials with a high density (> 160 kg / sq. M) are used to arrange thermal insulation. These are mineral wool or cork mats, extruded polystyrene foam, and expanded clay from bulk materials.
Thermal insulation of a wooden floor. Insulation in wooden floors is placed between the logs. Usually these are cotton wool insulation with a low density (< 50 кг/кв.м). Поверх утеплителя желательно настелить рубероид, а в качестве чистового пола уложить плиты ДСП.

Thermal insulation of the attic of an old house

Before starting work on the insulation of the attic of an old house, carefully inspect it. Check for cracks in the rafters and pediments, what is the safety of the floor. It may be that some of the beams will have to be replaced, or it may be necessary to additionally insulate the roof. Wooden parts must be impregnated with special moisture and fire-resistant solutions and an antiseptic solution against fungus and pests.

It is also necessary to perform a number of preparatory work. If the attic of the old house was insulated earlier, and the insulation has not lost its properties, additional insulation materials can be laid on top of the existing ones. For example, on top of a floor insulated with clay and sawdust, you can install a crate and lay mineral wool. Thus, "the initial level of the floor turns out to be" rough ".

Otherwise, the old insulation should be removed, and a new modern one with a higher complex of operational properties should be laid on top of it. After additional insulation, a new final floor is laid.

Features of working with common heaters

Basic requirements for insulation materials:

relatively low weight (this is especially important in houses with wooden floors);
non-toxicity;
ease of processing;
fire resistance;
moisture resistance;
good heat and sound insulating properties.

Modern insulating materials meet all these requirements to one degree or another. The most popular of them are polyurethane foam, expanded polystyrene, mineral (fiberglass and basalt) wool. In brick and stone houses with strong reinforced concrete ceilings, insulation is sometimes used "the old fashioned way". This can be done using inexpensive environmentally friendly expanded clay or clay mixed with sawdust.

Mineral wool

Insulation of an attic with mineral wool is the most inexpensive and at the same time acceptable in quality way of insulating attic rooms. Mineral wool has excellent heat and sound insulation properties, and its elasticity makes it easy to mount on rafters. In addition, it is non-flammable and not susceptible to biological pests. Mineral wool is sold in the form of mats or in rolls.

Mineral wool insulation

The most effective heat insulator is considered to be mineral wool slabs with so-called "randomly oriented fibers". A mineral wool slab with a thickness of only half a centimeter in terms of thermal protection properties replaces almost a meter of brickwork! At the same time, it is light enough and does not create additional load on the floors. Mineral wool is a durable material, its service life is at least 50 years.

When working with mineral wool, remember that it contains a certain amount of formaldehyde. In addition, the smallest mineral wool "needles" are dangerous for the eyes and for the respiratory system and irritate the skin of the hands. Therefore, it is necessary to cut and even more to lay the mineral wool in goggles, a respirator and gloves. Construction masks-respirators can also be used.

Polyurethane foam (PPU)

Polyurethane foam refers to a liquid heat insulator and is applied to any surface (wood, brick, stone, concrete) by spraying. Today it is considered the most effective thermal insulation building material. When processing with polyurethane foam, a durable, bass-based covering is created, so there will never be drafts in the insulated attic.

Insulation with polyurethane foam

By itself, polyurethane foam is an expensive material. However, before applying it, you do not need to do vapor barrier and waterproofing, and working with it is much easier than with other heat insulators. They can handle both the space under the roof between the rafters, and the voids between the logs of the wooden floor, and reinforced concrete floors.

Polyurethane foam can reduce heat loss by almost 30% (in comparison with other materials for thermal insulation). By spending a large amount of money to buy it, in winter you will save twice on heating.

Expanded polystyrene

Inexpensive, lightweight and durable extruded polystyrene foam sheets are commonly used in older houses with hardwood floors. It keeps heat well and does not weigh down the supporting structures; it is easy to cut (with a sharp stationery knife or saw) and mount. Its other advantages are moisture resistance (it does not absorb moisture) and environmental friendliness.

To insulate the space under the roof and floor, plates 10-15 centimeters thick are used in two layers. The first is fixed between the logs, and the second is laid on top of them. The structure is fixed with slats, a vapor barrier is laid on top (for example, "Izospan"), and then upholstered with plywood or clapboard.

It is worth insulating the attic with polystyrene foam if you will use it as a technical or utility room. But if you are going to arrange, for example, a workshop in the attic, it is not recommended to use it. This material has little to no noise protection and is unstable to organic solvents that can spill onto the floor or evaporate into the air. Some types of Styrofoam are fire resistant, but in general it is considered a flammable material.

Expanded clay

Expanded clay is an inexpensive and quite effective natural heat-insulating material that is used for thermal insulation of foundations and floors. It can be used in attics with reinforced concrete floors, as it creates a significant load on the beams. An effective layer of expanded clay on an area of 100 square meters, according to GOST, is poured in a layer up to 60 centimeters, while the weight of the backfill is about 30 tons! In non-residential attics, the insulating layer may be smaller (25-40 centimeters), and in this case they do not make a concrete screed, but it often turns out to be overwhelming for the attic floor of a wooden house.

Warming with expanded clay

Insulation of the attic with expanded clay has some features in comparison with other materials. Since this is a porous material that absorbs moisture, not only vapor barrier, but also waterproofing should be laid under the expanded clay backfill. It can be roofing material or ordinary plastic film, which is better to be laid with a single sheet, and not welded from several sheets.

It is not recommended to use polyethylene for a wooden floor, since the tree covered with it will not "breathe" - it is preferable to use "Izospan" as a vapor barrier.

For insulation, expanded clay of 10-15 mm fraction is used, which is poured into a wooden frame ("box") made around the perimeter of the room. A vapor barrier membrane is also laid on top of the expanded clay layer. Despite the good thermal insulation properties of expanded clay, experts do not recommend using it specifically for thermal insulation of attics. If the attic is already insulated with expanded clay, its layer is insufficient, but you cannot completely change the insulation, remove the subfloor and lay mineral wool on the expanded clay (under the upper vapor barrier membrane).

Sawdust and clay

In the days of our grandmothers, dry leaves, straw, and hay were placed on the attic floor in order to “keep from blowing”. But the most common and affordable way to make the house cozy was to insulate the attic with sawdust and clay. It is very simple to insulate an attic in a country house or in a wooden cottage in the old way. It is important that this method of insulation will cost you almost free.

Insulation with sawdust and clay

Prepare the solution:

dilute the clay to thickened milk;
add enough sawdust into the solution so that the solution can be mixed. It looks like it will be just wet sawdust, slightly smeared with clay;
pour the mixture on the floor of the attic with a layer of 15 centimeters, level and tamp.

After the mixture is dry, you will get a very dense, slightly springy floor covering. From above, you can pour another five centimeters of wet sawdust and tamp it again. A mixture of clay with sawdust keeps heat well, and besides, such a floor "breathes". Fill the floor with a thin layer of lime, and top up with straw, chaff, or dry sawdust.

To understand how to make the correct roof insulation, you need to understand its types. The most common types of roof structures are cold loft and attic. In the first case, insulation of the floors of the upper residential floor will be required (the air in the attic space does not warm up, which is where the name comes from). In the second, the installation of thermal insulation along the rafter legs of the roof. In today's article, we will analyze in detail the process of insulating the roof of a cold attic.

The cold loft is the most common, time-tested roofing structure in use around the world for decades. It has become widespread due to its simplicity, availability of materials and ease of installation. In addition, in the cold attic there is access for inspecting the supporting structures of the roof, so possible leaks are easily localized and eliminated with improvised means.

Rice. 1. Insulation system of a cold attic: 1. Floor beams 2. Insulation with stone wool 3. Vapor barrier film 4. Superdiffusion membrane 5. Sparse lathing 6. Internal lathing

As the basis for the attic, wooden floor beams and reinforced concrete slabs are most often used. The insulation system will differ depending on the selected flooring material for the residential floor. Wood is one of the best building materials that has a number of undeniable advantages: lightness, strength and flexibility. However, wood is sensitive to moisture: waterlogged wood during use can bend in an unpredictable way if it picks up moisture and then dries out. Therefore, wet wood is not used in construction, and dry wood is carefully insulated from possible waterlogging during operation.

The wood's ability to absorb moisture influences the choice of all cold loft materials. So, when choosing a heater, you should give preference to a vapor-permeable material based on mineral wool: this material will let all the wet steam through itself, leaving the beams dry. When choosing between glass wool and stone wool, one should remember the latter's ability to protect the entire structure from the effects of open fire. The sintering temperature of glass wool fibers is only about 600 ° C, and this temperature is reached within 5 minutes after the onset of ignition. Therefore, only stone wool is able to protect load-bearing structures, extend the life of a house and, in the event of a fire, give more time to save people and property.

Here it is worth recalling that any organic insulation (foams, polyurethanes) burns, so it is better not to use them in the construction of a wooden or frame house. The combustion of some of them is also accompanied by the release of poisonous vapors into the atmosphere, the "splashing" of the melt, which poses an additional danger to people. The use of organic insulation in the construction of the floor requires mandatory protection with a cement-sand screed.

The use of various construction films raises many questions in the insulation system. Due to their incorrect location in the structure, the floor beams can begin to rot, which is why they will subsequently lose their bearing capacity and collapse after a few years. To prevent this, when arranging a classic cold attic with wooden beams, it is customary to use two types of construction films, which we will conventionally call "Internal" and "External".

The "inner" film is laid from the inside of the heated room and prevents water vapor from entering the insulation from the room. This film is called vapor barrier. When installing it, it is necessary to carefully glue all overlaps with butyl rubber tape, achieving tightness over the entire area. Interior finishing is carried out with a technical gap of at least 3 cm - to exclude local moisture condensation on the vapor barrier.

Rice. 2.1. Cold attic ventilation scheme

The "outer" film performs other tasks: it protects the insulation from moisture from outside (snow, rain, fog), allows water vapor to be released from the system (if it suddenly appears there) and prevents heat from blowing out of the insulation. Some of these functions can be entrusted to ordinary plastic wrap, but it will not work to complete all tasks at the same time. Most films either have low vapor permeability - and therefore must be mounted with a second ventilation gap, or low water resistance - and therefore do not protect against water ingress into the insulation. The only type of film that can solve all the tasks at the same time is called a "superdiffusion membrane". Such a membrane has a vapor permeability that significantly exceeds the parameters of the insulation, which allows it to be mounted close to it. And high water resistance allows you to protect the system from the ingress of external moisture in any form.

Thus, the insulation must be protected by a vapor barrier film from the inside and a superdiffusion membrane from the outside. It is considered a good practice to lay a sparse sheathing of boards on top of the "upper" membrane to prevent damage to the film or crumpling of the insulation when walking in the attic.

Figure 2.2. Consequences of lack of ventilation (1 year, Minsk region)

Figure 2.2. Consequences of lack of ventilation (1 year, Minsk region)

Concluding the consideration of the design of a cold attic, it is imperative to pay attention to the issue of ventilation. A properly organized roof ventilation system (Fig. 2.1), despite the possible variety of designs, must have three mandatory components: entry point, ventilation ducts and exit point. The entire volume of the attic will serve as a ventilation channel in the cold attic. For normal operation, the temperature inside the cold attic should be equal to the outside temperature. For these purposes, the binder provides for the entry points of cold air - the so-called "air vents". And in the upper part of the attic, you need to complete the air outlet using dormer windows, ridge or point aerators.

Most often, in practice, one has to deal with a situation where ventilation is disrupted: all air vents are filled with insulation, and air from the street does not get inside. The second common mistake is the lack of dormers or aerators in the roof covering. When arranging ventilation, it is worth remembering that the area of the outlet openings should be 10% larger than the area of the inlet openings. In this case, sufficient thrust will be created. If the ventilation of the roof is disturbed, then the rafter system is exposed to waterlogging, and the roofing material is subjected to additional excess pressure from inside the room. This can lead to rotting of the rafter system and the loss of its bearing capacity (Fig. 2.2.), Premature destruction of the roofing. Therefore, efficient ventilation is a prerequisite for the normal operation of the cold attic system.

In the case of installing a cold attic on a base of reinforced concrete slabs, the system can be simplified. Since reinforced concrete is vapor-tight and is not afraid of exposure to open fire, insulation can be made from organic materials. Here you have to choose from two types of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. Polyurethane foams are increasingly appearing on objects, but the sprayed compositions do not always have the declared stable properties after solidification, and their strength is sometimes insufficient for the dynamic effects of pedestrian loads. The well-known expanded polystyrene (EPS) granules are still used in construction today. However, it has already been replaced by a more modern extruded (extrusion) expanded polystyrene (XPS), which is characterized by a lower thermal conductivity (which reduces the required insulation thickness by 25%), a 5 times lower water absorption and increased strength. When arranging a cold attic on reinforced concrete slabs using XPS, there is no need to spend money on the purchase and installation of construction films: the material firmly transfers all external influences, is not afraid of blowing and even soaking.

To determine the required thickness of thermal insulation, we will use the method, which is described in detail in TCP 45-2.04-43-2006 “Construction heat engineering. Building design standards ". According to this document, the minimum requirements for the thermal resistance of the structure are established. For the roof, it is taken at least six, and is calculated by the ratio of the actual thickness of the material of the structure (in this case, thermal insulation) to its thermal conductivity. Thus, the answer to the question "How to insulate the roof of a house?" - obvious: the required thickness of the insulation is calculated by multiplying the thermal conductivity of the material by six. This simple mathematics will allow you to create a cold attic that fully meets all applicable standards. For full-fledged insulation in our climatic zone, 25 cm of stone wool will be required. And when using extruded polystyrene foam, 20 cm will be enough. In a similar way, you can calculate the required thicknesses and other thermal insulation materials. For comparison: to get a similar indicator with expanded clay backfill, a layer more than half a meter thick is required!

In the next part we will tell you about the device and proper insulation of the attic (warm attic).

Text: Andrey Povarnitsyn

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Attic insulation materials

To remake an attic for housing, for example, into something like the one in the photo, first of all it must be made a warm room. Previously, to reduce heat loss, straw, sawdust, hay, dry tree foliage were laid on the ceiling, later they began to use bulk materials (expanded clay, slag), glass wool and roofing material.

Currently, more modern heaters are used in a private house, which have a number of advantages, among them they are especially appreciated:

The most popular are the following materials for insulation:

polyurethane foam (PPU);
expanded polystyrene;
mineral wool.

It should be noted that these heaters have both advantages and some disadvantages.

Polyurethane foam

This insulation for the attic of a house, consisting of gas-filled plastics, is applied by spraying onto brick, wood, metal, plaster and other surfaces. PPU is widely used in the creation of thermal insulation for roofs, attics, walls, basements.

This method of seamless spraying allows you to fill absolutely all the cracks without leaving the slightest chance for drafts. This modern technology increases heat savings by 3 times, while significantly reducing heating costs. Polyurethane foam demonstrates resistance to the decay process and the effects of various aggressive environments. It gives the structures to which it is applied additional rigidity. But the biggest argument in favor of this insulation is a 50-year service life.

As for the disadvantages of PPU, this is a high cost. But this price pays off by saving money on carrying out work on its application, since there is no need to make a steam and heat insulation "cake" - polyurethane foam protects against moisture, cold, condensation and loud sounds.

Expanded polystyrene

Often this insulation is called polystyrene, but in terms of quality and manufacturing technology, these are completely different materials, and they have in common the raw materials from which they are produced, and it is called polystyrene. Polyfoam is fragile, and polystyrene foam is much stronger in tear and compression. This material is made by extrusion - during the production process, the polymer is transformed at different stages, its granules are melted and foamed, which leads to an increase in thermal insulation properties.

To keep the attic warm, they use such properties of expanded polystyrene boards as excellent thermal insulation. In addition, expanded polystyrene is distinguished by its low weight, environmental safety, low cost and ease of installation - the plates are cut with a saw or a special knife. The thermal insulation characteristics of the slabs of this insulation are retained under the influence of moisture, since it is not hygroscopic.

Mineral wool

Insulation such as mineral wool helps owners of their own homes to convert the attic into a living space. It can be glass, slag, stone, depending on the raw material of manufacture - from glass melts, blast-furnace slag, rocks.

Mineral wool is produced by:

in the form of slabs;
in rolls;
in the form of a bulk mixture.

This variety allows the use of mineral wool for thermal protection of building walls, roofs, slopes. It is used for insulation and fire protection of pipelines, furnaces and similar structures, since it can withstand temperatures above 1000 ° C. Mineral wool provides excellent sound insulation. The insulation is resistant to chemically active substances.

Experts consider mineral wool with randomly arranged fibers to be the best heat insulator. For example, slabs made of this material, having a 5-centimeter thickness in terms of thermal resistance, are comparable to the characteristics of a wall made of 18 centimeters thick timber or 90 centimeters brickwork.

The service life of mineral wool materials is about 50 years. The main prerequisite for this is to avoid compaction, since as a result their thermal insulation properties deteriorate.

Insulation of an attic in a wooden house using mineral wool begins with the creation of a vapor barrier made of polyethylene or polypropylene film, foil or fiberglass. Some types of mineral wool are inherent in moisture-repellent properties, thanks to which condensation does not accumulate in the insulation and the heat protection does not deteriorate. If this insulation is coated with aluminum foil, vapor barrier is not required.

The disadvantage of mineral materials is the presence of formaldehyde in them, therefore, when working with them, you must use a mask and gloves.

Carrying out works on thermal insulation of the attic

Those owners of a private cottage who want to use the attic area with benefit can equip a living room. In this case, it is advisable to make the entrance to the attic from the house. In the attic, you can place a study, an art workshop, a billiard room, etc., it is only important to understand. In this case, insulation is mounted on the walls, floor and roof from the inside, the ceiling and walls are sheathed with plasterboard, and, for example, wood-based panels are laid on the floor. It should be remembered to arrange ventilation ducts.

When insulating a house, be sure to pay attention to the laws of physics. According to them, the air heated in the premises will rise to the ceiling. If the attic is not insulated enough, then the heat will evaporate outward, and this whole process can be called heat loss.

In order not to heat the street and keep more heat in the house, it is necessary to carry out thermal insulation of the floor. If you still do not know whether it is worth doing these works, then you should take into account that through the roof it leaves in the amount of 25 to 40%. This data is especially relevant for houses with a cold roof.

The thermal insulation of the floor will perform three functions at once, which are necessary to create a comfortable microclimate. The material will soundproof, which will keep the house quiet during wind and rain. In winter, the insulation will exclude heat loss and through which the heated air freely flows out. Thermal insulation is also needed in the summer heat, because it can be used to create a barrier in the way of heated air. Even in the hottest weather, the inside of the house will remain cool.

Material selection

If you plan to do the insulation of the cold attic floor, then you need to understand the variety of materials. The insulation you choose must be able to withstand a wide temperature range from -30 ° C to + 30 ° C. It should not freeze at low temperatures and emit harmful substances when heated. It is important to purchase fire retardant thermal insulation. This is true for wiring.

It is better if the insulation is moisture resistant so that it does not lose its properties when wet. It should not be caked quickly in order to fulfill its purpose as long as possible. Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic can be carried out with rolls, slabs, or This is true for a floor made of wooden beams. Whereas if you have to work with concrete slabs, then you should purchase bulk or slab materials.

As mats and slabs, the following are produced today:

Styrofoam;
seaweed;
mineral wool;
extruded polystyrene foam;
straw.

As for roll insulation, they are offered for sale in the following varieties:

stone wool;
mineral wool;
glass wool;
algae ladders.

When choosing bulk materials for insulating the ceiling of a cold attic, you may prefer:

expanded clay;
reed;
straw;
buckwheat tyrsu;
ecowool;
sawdust;
slag;
foam granules.

Features of insulation with mineral wool

Using basalt wool

Basalt insulation is made of gabbro-basalt rocks and acts as the best option for thermal insulation of the ceiling from the attic side. The fibers of this material are more plastic, therefore they are not so brittle. They are well compressed into mats with sufficient strength.

When deciding to insulate the ceiling of a cold attic with basalt wool, you get at your disposal a material that copes well with the influence of external factors, therefore it can be laid from the side of an unheated room. Insulation is sold in slabs or rolls, which can have different densities. Sometimes a foil layer is located on one side, which can enhance the insulation effect, because the heat will be reflected into the room.

About the harmfulness of mineral wool

All mineral wool has one common disadvantage, which is expressed in the binder consisting of phenol-formaldehyde resins. During operation, they are constantly released into the air, which can be hazardous to human health. Therefore, this insulation cannot be considered completely environmentally friendly. Basalt wool is laid according to the same principle as mineral wool.

Using extruded polystyrene foam

Expanded polystyrene, which is also called polystyrene, is not a very dense material. It can be used when the floor is made of beams and logs. Extruded polystyrene foam is stronger and denser than regular foam. Before laying it, the surface is leveled.

There is no need to cover the vapor barrier on the warm side of the floor, because concrete slabs have almost no vapor permeability. Insulation of the concrete floor of a cold attic provides for the installation of a vapor barrier film. The next layer is insulation plates, which are staggered. The joints are filled with polyurethane foam. As soon as it dries and hardens, the canvases are poured with concrete mortar with a thickness of within 6 cm. After the screed has dried, it can be used as a floor. Floor covering can be laid on the surface.

Using penoplex

If you insulate the attic, this will not only increase the duration of the operation of the rafter system, but also the roofing, and also increase the level of thermal protection of the living quarters under the attic. Insulation of the ceiling of the cold attic with penoplex replaced other technologies that were used quite widely in construction. In this case, we are talking about the use of glass wool, expanded clay and sea grass.

Modern choice - "Penoplex-panel"

In rural areas, the floor of the unheated attic is still insulated with clay and wood shavings. For sale today is presented "Penoplex-panel", which is specially designed for cold attics. If we neglect the work on thermal insulation of the room above the living space, then this can cause the insulation to get wet, which occurs due to condensation. Sometimes, under appropriate conditions, the roof structure begins to collapse altogether, which is especially important with constant dampness.

Should I use metal fasteners?

When the floor of the attic is not insulated, icicles and ice are constantly formed. It was mentioned above about large heat losses, they are caused by a weak level of thermal protection. When developing a scheme for insulating the ceiling of a cold attic with the help of penoplex, you must take into account the peculiarities of how the overlapping nodes will be joined with thermal insulation. The manufacturer does not recommend the use of metal fasteners, because they contribute to the formation of cold bridges, which reduces the level of thermal protection.

To create an insulating cake, a leveling screed is laid on the floors. Next, a vapor barrier is covered in the form of polyethylene. The next layer will be penoplex. Do not forget about the presence of a separating layer in the form of polyethylene. At the last stage, a cement-sand screed is poured.

Insulation of the ceiling of a cold attic may involve working with sheet material in the form of plywood or OSB. In this case, a vapor barrier, wooden beams and Penoplex insulation are laid on the surface. It can be covered with sheet material in the form of GVL or DSP.

Finally

Insulation of a cold attic allows you to create a border between cold and heat. Due to the formation of condensation in the area of the attic floor, suitable conditions arise that can contribute to impressive heat loss. Correct insulation of the floor allows you to create a barrier with a low degree of thermal conductivity.

The salvation from the harsh Russian climate for many people is a warm home. It is not always enough to insulate the basement, basement and walls: if the roof of the house is cold, you need to properly insulate the attic. This procedure has a number of features that must be taken into account before starting work. Otherwise, all funds and efforts will be wasted, the result will not justify the efforts made.

Peculiarities

Regardless of the type of building and its number of storeys, work with ceilings must be carried out according to strict rules.

It is required to provide a safety margin that covers its own weight and design load.
Under the full design load, there should be no deformation or deflection.
It is necessary to ensure the level of soundproofing prescribed by the regulations or special recommendations for building projects.
It is assumed to maintain the fire resistance limit established by the regulatory documents.

When insulating attics, any of these requirements can be violated out of ignorance, due to inaccuracy or due to a deviation from the standard technology. The rest of the nuances already belong to one particular group of floors.

Floor types

The main part of the house can be separated from the attic by the attic and intermediate floors. The difference is that in the first case, the upper part of the building is not heated, while in the second it is turned into a residential attic.

By design, the load-bearing floor segments are beamed and non-beamed. The former are formed by beams and infill, the latter are homogeneous, made in the form of slabs or panels.

Beam floors in a private house are created in such a way that the main elements are at the same distances. The main constructional material is wood. Metal and reinforced concrete are practically not used.

Wooden blocks are quite light, but have a serious disadvantage - the limitation on the maximum length. In the interfloor version, they can be used if the span is not longer than 5 m.For an unexploited attic, the permissible value can be increased by 1 m.

Sometimes you need to make the span even larger. Then it is required to use metal structures. In a summer cottage, such a solution is not used for obvious reasons. Most often, the flooring, which is laid on top of the beams, simultaneously acts as a ceiling (for the lower floor) and as a floor (for an attic or a simple attic).

In addition to the beams and flooring, a roll and a layer of insulation are also mounted.

Houses, resembling a rectangle in shape, cover parallel to the shortest wall. A strictly defined distance and section of the structure helps to avoid deflection of beams in a loaded state. These indicators are interrelated.

Under a cold roof, it is required to lay beams with a gap greater than under the attic(this is due to the difference in load). Regardless of the specific option, it is necessary to insulate the floor in such a way as to guarantee the protection of the rafters from water ingress. A vapor-impermeable material is required on top of the protective layer.

Materials (edit)

Proper insulation always begins with drying the attic by opening the windows. It is important to take into account the nuance: they work with the attic floor, and not with the ceiling of living rooms.

The assortment of heaters is great, in any hardware store you can find a lot of varieties. They are divided into three main groups - bulk, roll and made in the form of slabs. Each of the varieties is suitable for solving strictly defined problems.

Bulk products they are optimally combined with wooden beam ceilings, helping them to "breathe". But it is not very convenient to mount polystyrene foam.

Roll options are characterized by increased environmental friendliness.

Plate, despite the severity, it is well combined with concrete floors (for example, foam concrete), which themselves differ in density.

Insulation from the inside of the room (from the side of the ceiling) in a cold attic is rarely practiced, which is associated with several problems:

lowering the level of the room;
constant violation of the already created finish and the need for its repair;
different environmental and sanitary safety of thermal insulation materials.

Installation of thermal protection from the inside of the room can be done cheaply or while maintaining the proper level of comfort. We have to give up mineral wool, keep the gap from thermal insulation to external decoration (this is necessary for ventilation). Internal insulation is the best option for keeping warm when arranging a false ceiling.

If the insulation is carried out with extruded polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene, pre-installation of the lathing is required, on top of which the drywall is fixed... The thickness of the timber is selected by 0.2 - 0.3 cm more than that of the insulating layer itself, the installation step is 0.1 - 0.2 cm narrower than the penoplex. It is recommended to use mineral wool only in the most extreme cases: it is highly toxic.

Much better ecowool, obtained from cellulose with the addition of substances reducing the risk of fire. Such material perfectly suppresses extraneous sounds. If you use reeds, you can not be afraid of fire.

It's time to figure out what features each of the coating groups has, and what other materials belong to them.

Bulk

The use of a bulk type of insulation began in ancient times. Their main options are:

expanded clay;
sawdust;
flax fibers;
reed stems.

Each variety has its own differences and performance characteristics. Ease of obtaining, availability and almost zero price of sawdust also have a downside (they have a number of serious drawbacks).

Mice easily settle in the sawdust mass. This can be prevented by adding hydrated lime and carbide. To keep warm, a layer of 10 - 20 mm is enough, but this impressive quality is canceled out by its high flammability.

Expanded clay is compatible with wood and concrete floors: when it is filled up, a full-fledged floor covering is created. The layer thickness ranges from 20 to 25 mm, under which there should be a concrete screed of about 5 mm.

In rolls

The undoubted advantages of any roll insulation are the ease of use and the ease of neat installation of blocks. This allows you to carry out the work yourself.

In most cases, despite all its disadvantages, mineral wool is used. Before laying the material, you will have to make a high-quality vapor barrier with glued seams for greater tightness.

If algae is safe, this cannot be said. about glass wool... Water resistance is devalued by a serious inconvenience during work: you will have to protect yourself from small, prickly and hazardous fibers. After a while, the material cakes and loses its positive qualities to a large extent..

In the form of mats and slabs

Plate insulation is distinguished by reliable blocking of air intake. It should not be used in houses made from natural materials.... More often, in the manufacture of plates, polystyrene foam, reeds, ecowool are used. seaweed.

The technology provides for installation strictly on flat surfaces with preliminary placement of vapor barrier films. Even the smallest irregularities need to be eliminated. It is easy to make a full-fledged floor above the slab, which allows you to create residential attics even from the coldest attics from the beginning.

Sprayable

A real technological breakthrough was the use of sprayed insulation. It is important to carefully approach their selection and take into account all the features, including the advantages and disadvantages of the created coating.

The main positive aspects when using penoizol for insulation are:

exceptionally high level of thermal protection;
excellent absorption of extraneous sounds;
solid vapor permeability (no condensation);
the possibility of using in places that are inaccessible or inaccessible for other insulation products;
ease of installation on top of all existing building materials.

This last point does not mean that careful surface preparation can be neglected.

Only a thorough degreasing of the base guarantees a decent adhesion and stable performance of its main function by the material.

Regardless of the option chosen, the preparatory work is more or less the same.

Preparation for work

Before starting work in the attic of a wooden house, you need to check the joints of the floors. It is important to consider: there should be no gaps and cracks on the base. Any gap is closed using lime mortar and tow... Frame elements are impregnated with antiseptic compounds and fire retardants.

If ventilation ducts have not been created before, the time has come to make them.

If you plan to make insulation according to the roll pattern, you need to equip the floor slabs with logs (special bars). Concrete screws or dowels can be used to secure them.

When it is planned to turn the attic into an attic, heating pipes are sure to be insulated. The following types of technical wool are best suited for them:

glass;
mineral;
slag;
stone;
basalt.

For your information: the cheapest options should be used in areas with mild winters. If the frosts are severe enough, you will have to buy a more expensive and reliable insulation.

It is necessary to clean the surface as much as possible from the slightest traces of dust and other contaminants. All sections of heating systems are overlapped with protective materials at least twice.

Features of the combination of heat and vapor insulation

Vapor barrier in combination with thermal insulation is always made extremely tight. Rolls are overlapped up to 0.2 m, glued. A prerequisite is an overlap on the wall, followed by pressing with plaster... Preference should be given to materials with a foil surface that effectively reflects infrared rays.

Floor cleaning

This moment cannot be underestimated. It is worth using a house for several months without visiting a cold attic, as an amazing amount of dust, dirt, cobwebs will accumulate there. It is necessary to remove all things, even the smallest and insignificant, remove all debris before starting work.

Warming

It will not be possible to disassemble the technology of laying all possible coatings. We need to stop at one option. For example, such as mineral mats.

First, you need to remove the boardwalk and attach a vapor barrier to the beams. For fastening membrane films, it is worth using staples of 14 - 16 mm, driven into the base with a stapler. The gaps of the structures are filled with mats, which are fixed with cross-sections of 20x50 mm. These slats will help hold the extra vapor barrier.

Then you need to make a boardwalk with your own hands and equip the ceiling. To protect ventilation pipes from cold, materials that form a kind of shell (for example, penofol) are better suited. It is better than polyethylene foam, it does not absorb so much dust, which is inevitably present in any room.

If the ventilation pipe passes through the main wall, it must be placed in an insulating sleeve. When the ventilation duct goes through the room, you need to lay the material where freezing begins to be felt. Ventilation protection is done before covering the rest of the building.

A typical pie involves stacking:

solid boards 25x100, 30x100 mm;
a two-layer membrane that protects from the wind;
5x5 cm beams across the overlapping beams (the distance between the blocks should be 59 cm);

beams based on a double timber 5x20 cm;
new timber 5x5 cm;
vapor barrier (best with aluminum foil);
boards overlapping the vapor barrier.

In attics, you have to deal with the problem of a freezing wall or even several walls at the same time. Only the simultaneous insulation of the structure both outside and inside the building will help to eliminate this nuisance. The minimum thickness of the inner layer must be at least 20 cm. This is the rare case when there is nothing better than plain mineral wool.